Machine for the mass-production of moulded reinforced concrete elements

ABSTRACT

Method for moulding a concrete element having reinforcing means, comprising pouring in a mould a measured amount of concrete for producing the element, vibrating the concrete, introducing to the required, depth at least a part of the reinforcing means, tamping the concrete. Support means for the reinforcing means are engaged with the latter during the vibration and tamping and disengaged from the reinforcing means a few seconds before the end of the vibration and tamping.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Inventor Roger Paul Sonneville 5 Rue Maurice Ravel, 92 Saint Cloud, France United States Patent UXMHXXXHH m() l J 4m fl m fl 2/ 4. 1/ l fl2 h 2 2 /2 5 5 2 2 mm mr mm m mmmwm 6 u n "a um .U H O Z O wHMWR m o m b 01 016 mFDcwKRR 93623568 64566666 99999999 11111111 05 85320 1 1 43784983 0 00 4 5 39209237 7 358730 32233333 8 7 6 6 9 9 19 8 2 M Q QM nmwmmu 7J J 0 d N mw l nfi em ua n AFPP UHHHH 224333 Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-Ben D. Tobor Attorney-Robert E. Burns ABSTRACT: Method for moulding a concrete element having reinforcing means, comprising pouring in a mould a measured 25/41 J, amount of concrete for producing the element, vibrating the concrete, introducing to the required, depth at least a part of Z the reinforcing means, tamping the concrete. Support means B28b 23/02 for the reinforcing means are engaged with the latter during Field of the vibration and tamping and disengaged from the reinforcing means a few seconds before the end of the vibration and tamping.

221/268; 4] T, 37,58,71, 86, 118 H, 121 Z, 103, 264/71 [S4] MACHINE FOR THE MASS-PRODUCTION OF MOULDED REINFORCED CONCRETE ELEMENTS 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

25/41 T, 25/58, 25/86, 25/103, 25/118 H, 25/l2l PATENTED JUL 6 19m SHEET 1 BF 3 PATENTEB JUL 6197! 3 5 5 SHEET 2 [IF 3 PATENTEU JUL 6 l9?! SHEU .3 UP 3 MACHINE FOR THE MASS-PRODUCTION OF MOULDED REINFORCED CONCRETE ELEMENTS The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the mass production of moulded reinforced concrete ele ments, as railway sleepers or ties.

Such elements frequently comprise in their reinforcement a grillage or system of reinforcing bars which must be placed at the upper part of the mould in the course of moulding. If such a grillage is placed in position before pouring the concrete, there occurs in the course of this pouring operation a segrega' tion of the materials and a decohesion of the concrete since the grillage acts as a sieve and retains the larger materials. Further, the presence of such a grillage considerably slows down the moulding operation.

In order to avoid this disadvantage, it is necessary to place a part of the reinforcements in the mould, pour a predetermined amount of concrete to position the reinforcing grillage on the already poured concrete and then complete the filling of the concrete. It will be easily understood that such a succession of operations markedly complicates the production and renders a fully mechanized and automatic production almost impossible since the filling of moulds with a previously measured amount of concrete cannot be achieved.

The object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks.

The invention provides a method for moulding a reinforced concrete element, said method comprising pouring in the mould a measured amount of concrete necessary for producing said element, vibrating the concrete, introducing to the required depth at least a part of the reinforcement, tamping or compacting the concrete, maintaining said reinforcement in position in the concrete in the course of vibration and tamping or compacting of the concrete, and withdrawing the means for maintaining the reinforcement in position a few seconds before the end of the vibration and compacting.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for carrying out the method defined hereinbefore, said machine comprising in combinationz-a support for receiving the mould, a concrete supply device adapted to pour into the mould a predetermined amount of concrete, a feed device for feeding at least one reinforcement element, means for positioning the Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description with reference to the ac companying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1. is a partial perspective view ofa machine according to the invention employed for moulding railway sleepers or ties of reinforced concrete;

FIG. 2. is a diagrammatic side elevational view of said machine;

FIG. 3. is a perspective view ofa part of the machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 4. is a diagram of a complete apparatus for producing composite railway sleepers or ties, that is, sleepers or ties composed of concrete and metal, said apparatus including a machine such as that shown in FIGS. 1-3.

In the embodiments which will now be described, a moulding machine according to the invention is incorporated to an apparatus for mass producing reinforced concrete sleepers or ties, for example of the type described in French Pat. No. 1,429,382 filed on .Ian. 13, I965, by the Applicant.

Such an apparatus (FIG. 4) comprises a succession of stations designated by letters: at A, at the start of the production cycle, a mould l is inverted on a mould-stripping surface; this mould travels through a greasing station B and is then upturned at C and brought to a station D for positioning a part of the reinforcement and, if desired, pins such as described in the French Patent Application No. P.V. ll 1,433 filed on June 22, I967, by the Applicant; thereafter, the mould is shifted to a station E which is the moulding station proper including the moulding machine according to the invention; lastly, the mould is inverted at station F before it is returned to the mould-stripping surface G,

The moulding machine will now be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This moulding machine constitutes the station E of the aforementioned apparatus, it being understood that only the elements of this machine necessary for understanding its operation have been shown in the drawings.

The moulding machine can be divided into four main subassemblies E,, E E E, which will be described in turn.

The subassembly E comprises a stand 2 on which a vibrating table 4 adapted to support the mould 1 rests through silent blocks 3. Disposed above the mould is a funnel 5 which is connected to the moving rods 6 of hydraulic or pneumatic jacks 6 having a body 6 which is integral with the stand 2.

The subassembly E comprises the concrete supply device for supplying concrete to the two parts I", l" of the mould. It is mounted on a fixed support whose U-section elements 7, 8, 8" can be seen.

The subassembly E comprises three main parts; a double concrete supply hopper 9 shown partly in dot-dash line; a unit 10 which is movable by means of ajack 11 and comprises on each side of a center chassis l2, tow bottomless drawers 13 and two blocks 14 for closing the hopper, this unit is supported through members 15 and rollers 16 by the U-section elements 8 which are part of the stand of the machine; two shovels 17 which are integral and movable by means ofajack 18. The shovels 17 are guided by rollers 19 and supported by other rollers (not shown) and form a bottom for the drawers [3 when disposed under the latter.

The subassembly E (FIGS. 1 and 2) consists of the device feeding reinforcement grillages of system of rods 20 (FIG. 3). These rods are stacked in two magazines 21 and can be brought into position above the mould by a device which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2 and mainly comprises a plate 22 provided with abutments 23 and shifted by a jack 24.

The subassembly E., which places the reinforcement grillages or rods in position in the concrete and tamps this concrete, comprises a beam 25 which is guided at both ends on two cylindrical uprights 26 and movable vertically above the mould by ajack 27.

This beam carries on its underside tow tamping or compacting blocks or masses 28 (FIG. 3) disposed above the two parts of the mould. Each block 28 comprises fingers 29 which terminate in an elastically yieldable tabs 29 and positioning strips 30. The strips and fingers are withdrawable into the block 28 by jacks (not shown). The force exerted by the fingers 2949 on the reinforcement grillage or bars 20 is very slightly greater than the weight of this grillage so as to enable the fingers to be easily withdrawn within the blocks.

Deflectors 31 have also been shown in dot-dash line in FIG. 1 for example of sheet metal, which protect the rollers 19 from possible droppings of excess concrete.

The device controlling the machine will not be described since this device employs only conventional means for coordinating the various successive operations.

The machine just described operates in the following manner starting at the moment when a mould has just been transferred to the vibrating table 4.

The funnel 5, which was raised, is lowered onto the mould by the jacks 6. The two jacks 11 and 18 are then actuated so as to bring above the mould the drawers l3 filled with concrete, the drawer bottoms being constituted by the shovels 17. The upper surface of the blocks 14 then close the bottoms of the two supply semihoppers 9.

The jack 18 is then fed so as to withdraw the shovels l7 and this causes a given amount of concrete to drop into the mould. This premeasured amount of concrete exactly corresponds to the volume necessary for constructing the whole of the element which is, in the presently described embodiment, a railway sleeper or tie. When the concrete is in position in the mould, thejack 11 is actuated so as to return the drawers 13 to a position under the hopper, the shovels 17 once more forming a bottom for these drawers.

A reinforcement grillage or system of bars 20 is then brought above the mould by the plate 22. The grillage feed device has been purposely simplified and can be more elaborate, in particular for supporting the stack of grillages contained in each magazine 21, when the bottom grillage is fed. The grillage in position above the mould is held by the fingers (29-29" provided under the tamping masses and the plate 22 is withdrawn.

The tamping masses are lowered to the required level relative to the mould, while the concrete is vibrated, the mould being, as already mentioned, mounted on the vibrating table 4. Further vibrators disposed in or on the tamping masses could be provided.

During the tamping and vibration of the concrete, the reinforcement grillage 20 is maintained in the concrete at a distance from the top surface of the concrete which is equal to the height of the strips 30; in the presently described embodi ment, this height is about 25 millimeters.

A few seconds before the end of the vibration of the concrete, when the latter is not yet hard, the fingers 29 and the strips 30 are withdrawn into the tamping masses, the cavities thus formed in the concrete being filled during the few seconds during which the vibration is maintained while the tamping masses remain firmly applied against the surface of the concrete. These tamping masses are raised only when the vibration ceases.

Thereafter, the funnel 5 is raised and the mould can be transferred to the following station.

Owing to this method of introducing the reinforcements by forcing them into the concrete already placed in the mould and during the vibration, the aforementioned drawbacks of known methods and devices are avoided while greater precision in the positioning of the reinforcements is achieved. indeed, the distance between the reinforcement and the upper surface of the concrete is, according to the invention, exactly determined by the height of the strips 30 or other like spacer pieces provided on the bottom face of the tamping masses.

The fact of supplying the required premeasured mass of concrete in a single operation also simplifies in particular the procedure.

It is clear that the machinejust described can be adapted to produce other reinforced concrete elements which are not railway ties and in which a part of the reinforcement is constructed in the form ofa grillage or system of bars.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described, many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Thus, in particular, the holding devices provided under the tamping masses can be replaced by electromagnetic means performing the same function.

lclaim:

l. A machine for moulding a reinforced concrete element, comprising in combination: a mould, a support for receiving the mould, a concrete supply device adapted to pour into the mould a measured amount of concrete, means for simultaneously tamping the concrete and for supporting a reinforcing means in the concrete at a predetermined distance from the top surface of the concrete, the concrete supply device comprising a hopper containing the concrete and disposed above the mould and laterally offset relative to the mould; a concrete carrying drawer mounted for movement from a first position under the hopper to a second position above the mould, said drawer including a removable bottom mounted for movement between said first and second positions for releasmg the measured amount of concrete to allow the concrete to pour into the mould upon removal of said bottom; and means movable at the same time as the drawer for closing the bottom of the hopper when the drawer is located over the mould.

2. A machine for moulding a reinforced concrete element, comprising in combination: a mould, a support for receiving the mould, a concrete supply device adapted to pour into the mould a measured amount of concrete sufficient to form the concrete element, means for vibrating the mould, a compacting element having a concrete compacting face and movable into the mould for compressing the concrete in the mould and forming a top surface of the concrete element, support means mounted in the element and adapted and arranged to releasably engage and maintain reinforcing means for the concrete element at a given distance from said face, said support means being withdrawable into the element and adapted and arranged to be disengaged from the reinforcing means during the compacting and vibration of the concrete in the mould while the concrete is not yet hard, whereby cavities left behind in the concrete by the withdrawn support means are filled by the vibrated concrete in the mould.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mould has a closed bottom portion, and the support for receiving the mould is a vibrating table.

4. A machine for moulding a reinforced concrete element, comprising in combination: a mould, a support for receiving the mould, a concrete supply device adapted to pour into the mould a measured amount of concrete, means for simultaneously tamping the concrete and for supporting a reinforcing means in the concrete at a predetermined distance from the top surface of the concrete, the means for tamping the concrete comprising a tamping block vertically movable above the mould, said block including support means and a spacer element on its lower face for supporting said reinforcing means and for determining the depth at which the reinforcing means is inserted into the concrete.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said support means and the spacer element are withdrawable into the tamping block.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 2, comprising a vertically movable annular funnel located above the mould and adaptable to the upper part of the mould and adapted to guide the concrete into the mould and guide the compacting element as it is moved into the mould, and means for downwardly applying the funnel against the mould during the compacting and vibrating. 

1. A machine for moulding a reinforced concrete element, comprising in combination: a mould, a support for receiving the mould, a concrete supply device adapted to pour into the mould a measured amount of concrete, means for simultaneously tamping the concrete and for supporting a reinforcing means in the concrete at a predetermined distance from the top surface of the concrete, the concrete supply device comprising a hopper containing the concrete and disposed above the mould and laterally offset relative to the mould; a concrete carrying drawer mounted for movement from a first position under the hopper to a second position above the mould, said drawer including a removable bottom mounted for movement between said first and second positions for releasing the measured amount of concrete to allow the concrete to pour into the mould upon removal of said bottom; and means movable at the same time as the drawer for closing the bottom of the hopper when the drawer is located over the mould.
 2. A machine for moulding a reinforced concrete element, comprising in combination: a mould, a support for receiving the mould, a concrete supply device adapted to pour into the mould a measured amount of concrete sufficient to form the concrete element, means for vibrating the mould, a compacting element having a concrete compacting face and movable into the mould for compressing the concrete in the mould and forming a top surface of the concrete element, support means mounted in the element and adapted and arranged to releasably engage and maintain reinforcing means for the concrete element at a given distance from said face, said support means being withdrawable into the element and adapted and arranged to be disengaged from the reinforcing means during the compacting and vibration of the concrete in the mould while the concrete is not yet hard, whereby cavities left behind in the concrete by the withdrawn support means are filled by the vibrated concrete in the mould.
 3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mould has a closed bottom portion, and the support for receiving the mould is a vibrating table.
 4. A machine for moulding a reinforced concrete element, comprising in combination: a mould, a support for receiving the mould, a concrete supply device adapted to pour into the mould a measured amount of concrete, means for simultaneously tamping the concrete and for supporting a reinforcing means in the concrete at a predetermined distance from the top surface of the concrete, the means for tamping the concrete comprising a tamping block vertically movable above the mould, said block including support means and a spacer element on its lower face for supporting said reinforcing means and for determining the depth at which the reinforcing means is inserted into the concrete.
 5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said support means and the spacer element are withdrawable into the tamping block.
 6. A machine as claimed in claim 2, comprising a vertically movable annular funnel located above the mould and adaptable to the upper part of the mould and adapted to guide the concrete into the mould and guide the compacting element as it is moved into the mould, and means for downwardly applying the funnel against the mould during the compacting and vibrating. 